Photo: A Palestinian child is being arrested by Israeli security forces [Saeed Qaq/Apaimages]

Israeli occupation forces arrested 3,000 Palestinians during the first half of 2018, including 497 children and 84 women, Quds Press reported yesterday.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners Centre for Studies, there was a 30 per cent increase in the number of children arrested when compared to the same period in 2017,

The statistic showed that the Israeli occupation arrested 120 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, most of them fishermen who were arrested while at sea, traders, patients or patients’ companions, who were arrested at Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing.

Meanwhile, the group revealed that four Palestinian prisoners died in Israeli jails since the start of the year.

During the same period, occupation forces issued 505 administrative detention orders, including 199 new and 306 renewed orders.

According to rights groups, there are about 6,500 Palestinian prisoners inside Israeli jails, including 54 females, 350 children, 430 under administrative detention and 1,800 patients.